Summer Approaches, Welcome June, Goodbye May

June is named from the Roman month Iunius, or Junius, is named in honor of the ancient Roman goddess Juno who is the wife of Jupiter and oversees marriage among other portfolio.   The first half of Iunius is a period of religious purification and was considered the most favorable time to marry by the Romans.  It will also be the anniversary of this journal, so I may try and do something special for that.

Summer officially starts this month, so, any thoughts on a theme, readers?  Send me your suggestions and I will try to act on them.

May, 2018, saw the following posts on the design journal:

Tuesday Magic Item – Marisol’s Butter Churn

“Buttered bread is the very best,” said Gollaon, spreading the butter thickly on the dark bread.

“It has its place,” agreed Voddick.

“But you prefer beer,” finished Gollaon.

“Over bread, yes.  But buttered beer . . . does not work so well.”

Gollaon laughed.

Marisol’s Butter Churn

This butter churn is well made, though with brass fitting rather than iron, and usually decorated with carving of spring, birds, flowers, butterflies, that sort of thing.

The butter churn is well made and easy to use.  In normal use, that is all there is.

New Chimeric Monster – Moger (for Pathfinder, D&D5 and Dungeon World)

A sound near by, you turn to look, a moose?! How did it get so close without you noticing? It is moving towards you awfully purposefully. Those teeth do not look friendly and it has claws! Run! Run for your life!

MOOGER CR 4

XP 1,200
N Large magical beast (chimeric)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6

DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, –1 size)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +4
Special Defense shielding antlers

Tuesday Magic Item – Eternity Cage Amulet

“Our new Commander seems rather heedless of his personal safety,” said Voddick checking his straps.

“He thinks he is immortal,” replied Gollaon quietly.

“That is usual among commanders,” added Voddick, glancing to his friend.

“Yes, but this one has an amulet that may, in some way, provide it.”

“That is going to cause trouble.”

Eternity Cage Amulet

These items consist of a crystal so clear it is nearly invisible suspended in a silver cage,close observation will show that the crystal never touches the cage it is in.  It is attuned it a new possessor by letting a single drop of blood fall on the crystal making it momentarily an intense red, a color to which it will return when it uses its magic.

Tuesday Magic Item – Passage Chalk

“Will this really work?” asked Voddick, risking a nervous glance around the corner.  “They will be here any moment.”

“I have seen it done and the chalk seems magical,” replied Gollaon as he used the chalk to draw on the wall.

“That is not inspired confidence,” muttered Voddick.

“Well it works.”

“Then let us go.  Now.”

Passage Chalk

These pieces of chalk are seem like any other piece of chalk, except they are a very pale shade of one of the colors of the spectrum . . . a different one each time you look at it.

PinkCat: Running in the Shade “Bad Beetles” (A different sort of SR campaign report)

To understand what is going on here, you had best read the first PinkCat: Running in the Shade post, but short summary, this is a campaign report for our Shadowrun campaign set in NorCal through the filter of a cartoon made by one of the team members.

Episode Thirty-Six: Bad Beetles

Guest Starring: DD and DoubleUp.

Two things happen around school: One, more bugs are showing up around the school, leading the school janitorial staff and food services to distraction.  Two, students start to go missing.  Pink, DD and DoubleUp working with (for once) Officer Bloodhound start searching to local area for the missing students.  Some misadventures, dead ends and comedy with local street gangs and sinister garbage collectors.  Finally find everyone in a warehouse with many, many beetles that are generating a pleasing hum that put people to sleep and gives them pleasant dreams, dreams so nice that they want to stay in them forever.  DD uses her music skills to break the spell long enough for Pink and Glimmer to build a dampening field to neutralize the hum.  They get everyone out, while Pink and the others discus what to do about the bugs, Officer Bloodhound has called in an airstrike and the warehouse is destroyed along will all(?) of the bugs.

What really happened:

Tuesday Magic Item – White Lotus of Enlightenment

Gollaon pushed the branch out of the way with his walking stick.  “Why did we end up in a jungle again?”

“The Quest paid well and promised no field battles,” replied Voddick swatting at a bug.

“Ah, yes, and flower hunting seemed much more attractive.”

“Agree.  But sadly the flower is somewhere in this bug infested hot house of a place.”

“Enlightenment is not easy to obtain,” said their Employer.

White Lotus of Enlightenment

These are perfect white lotuses only found in the most inaccessible and unusual places.  Once picked, they never wilt or wither, remaining a perfect version of a flower.

Rokugan SRIU Episode 13 “Teppo and Red Herrings” (L5R Campaign Report)

Having survived their mission to the new lands to the North, our heroes return to the Empire proper, gather their missing companions in the Phoenix lands and set sail for the capital.

Naturally, things are not going to be that easy for the characters and after several days at sea they arrive at Dragon’s Guard City.  To their surprise, there is an agitated Miya pacing the docks and seems overjoyed by their arrival.  It is in fact Miya Miyasako, assistant to Governor Matsu Hotohara.  Miyasako, thin, nervous, totally out of his depths without a strong leader as Matsu Hotohara, Governor of the city, has been kidnapped by demons, the magistrates must help!  The Governor’s bodyguard of Matsu samurai were cut down by black magic.

Tuesday Magic Item – Beltane Blessed Ember

Voddick sipped at his ale and watched the bonfire blaze.  “They seem to be enjoying themselves.”

“Nothing like this in your homeland?” asked Gollaon as he exchanging glances with a group of young adults.

“A bit more regimented and solemn.”

“I am not surprised.  Your homeland truck me as quite laconic.”

“Just so.”

Beltane Blessed Ember

This is an ember from a Beltane bonfire stored in a specially prepared box, it carries with it the blessing of the day throughout the year.  The box is pleasantly warm and if opened, the ember produces as much light as a candle.